About a Boy: Chapter 34 Summary & Analysis

As Will and Fiona prepare to leave for the police station, the chaos of the evening reminds Will of the Dead Duck Day. He reflects on the events of that day and how much has changed since, particularly how deeply his affections for Marcus have grown. They pick up Ellie’s mum, Katrina, on the way, and Will notes that she “seemed to have given up on her daughter a long time ago.” The two women commiserate about their children’s behavior but ultimately agree that there will always be another “last straw” as long as they love their kids.

When the trio stops for gas and snacks before hitting the road, it occurs to Will that he feels strangely bonded to Fiona and Katrina in this moment, a sensation he’s never before experienced so quickly. He concludes that Marcus, despite his occasional weirdness, is exceptionally gifted at “creating bridges wherever he went,” something few adults can actually accomplish. Will also notes the unlikely connection between Marcus and Kurt Cobain: both are able to meaningfully bring together people who would otherwise have no business knowing one another.

Will, Fiona, and Katrina arrive at the police station to find a disgruntled Clive and Lindsey waiting on them. Katrina asks if they can take their kids home, but a policewoman tells them the shop owner, Ruth, is on her way to the station to speak with Ellie and Marcus directly. When Ruth arrives, everyone notices that her resemblance to Ellie is uncanny; they’re dressed similarly and both wear heavy, dark eye makeup. Ruth asks Ellie why she broke the store’s window, and Ellie argues it was a protest against the store’s “exploitation” of Kurt Cobain’s tragic death.  Ruth clarifies that the cutout has always been a staple of her store and that she’s Cobain’s biggest fan in Hertfordshire. Ellie, feeling the full weight of her mistake, is taken aback when Ruth pulls her in for a hug in spite of her vandalism—a recognition of their shared grief.

Suddenly, Fiona bursts into tears and dramatically declares that she’s been a bad mother, and she’s the one to blame for Marcus ending up at a police station. She appeals to the policewoman, who is also a mother, to let Marcus go, offering his cooperation in testifying against Ellie if necessary. Marcus tries to explain that he isn’t in trouble for anything, but his mum doesn’t seem to hear him. Will, impressed by Fiona’s fierce but misplaced commitment to “freeing” her son, pauses to assess the strange group of people around him. For a moment, he feels like he’s become a part of something greater and more complex than he could have ever imagined. He muses that fully committing to “being human” might be worth his while after all.

After the madness, everyone goes out to dinner—including Ruth, who, in spite of everything, naturally bonds with Ellie straight away. Marcus announces that he no longer believes Ellie is right for him, and that he should look for someone “less different” from himself. Ellie’s mother wishes Marcus luck, noting that many people spend their lives searching for someone similar and still fail. Fiona reiterates how difficult it is to find such a person, and Will reflects on this idea, considering his relationship with Rachel, who is very different from him in many ways. He realizes that the search for someone more similar only makes sense if you are comfortable with who you are in the first place.